Why Oh Why
by devi no kaze
Summary: Charles cannot believe his eyes. He cannot believe they meet again. The infamous Erik Lehnsherr, the one who bullied him when they were in Secondary School. The moment their eyes meet and then Erik walks to him, he knows he is doomed. When they finally talk and Erik tells him why he bullied him years ago, Charles is sure that Erik is insane.


Why Oh Why

Summary : Charles cannot believe his eyes. He cannot believe they meet again. The infamous Erik Lehnsherr, the one who bullied him when they were in Secondary School. The moment their eyes meet and then Erik walks to him, he knows he is doomed. When they finally talk and Erik tells him why he bullied him years ago, Charles is sure that Erik is insane.

Work Text:

-Columbia University, 14.00 pm-

Charles cannot believe his eyes when he sees who is standing in front of the creepiest lecturer in Columbia University that afternoon. Erik fucking Lehnsherr is here, in his campus. Oh, God. What is he doing here? Charles wants to run but his feet are glued to the floor beneath him. He wants to shout for his best friend and sister, but he cannot even move his lips. His abnormal blue eyes look around, trying to find some human being he knows. He see Hank McCoy, his sister's boyfriend and one of the younger students he tutors, walks to him, obviously he is going to greet him or something. Perfect. Charles grabs the poor boy and uses him as shield, hopefully he cannot be seen by Erik.

"Charles? what-?"

"Hush, Hank. Be quiet." Charles whispers sharply. Hanks only frowns. Sometimes, it is better to let Charles do whatever he wants. Charles' brain works differently than others and you will juts hurt yourself if you want to understand how it works, that includes Hank, who is almost as smart as Charles. Almost.

Hank follows Charles' eyes. He sees a tall boy around Charles' age, maybe one or two years older, is talking to his friends, a dark skinned black haired boy and a stunning blonde, in front of Professor Shaw's office. The boy is wearing a black leather jacket and black jeans. Hie eyes are blue or green, Hanks is not too sure. What he sure is that the boy has this mess-with-me-I'll-kill-you look on his face. The fact that Charles, who befriends everyone and thinks that there is good in everyone even Shaw, hides behind him makes Hank positive that he, under whatever circumstances, should never mess with the mysterious boy.

"You know that guy, Charles?" Hanks asks, looking at the the boy who is peeking from behind him. Charles nods, his lips press together.

"Yes, he is what I will call a walking nightmare." Hank rolls his eyes. Charles and his dramatic personality. He hears Charles gasps. He turns to the mysterious boy and sees that he is staring straight to Charles. He raises his eyebrows and looks at Charles and mysterious boy back and forth. Charles' baby blue eyes widens in shock. His pale face is red. His red lips opens. Hank watches as Charles and the boy hold their gaze for few minutes before he feels Charles grips his arm tightly and drags him.

Hank tries to catch his breath once they enter Charles' apartment. He watches as Charles comically jumps to the windows, looks around and closes the curtains. What the hell wrong with this guy, seriously. It is the first time Hank sees Charles acts like this.

"Charles, what's wrong?" Raven's voice catches both boys' attention. Before Hank even greets his girlfriend, Charles is already babbling.

"He is here, Raven. Oh my God. Goodness, what should I do? What is he doing here anyway? Oh, no. He saw me. HE SAW ME! Nooo, what should do? Should I hide, but I need to go to my classes. What is he in one of my classes? No, what if he is in ALL my classes? I-"

"SHUT UP!" Hank and Raven share grateful look at each other when they finally shut the oldest among them up. Raven grabs his brother's arm and drags him to the nearest sofa.

"Charles, calm down. Hank, can you please get me a glass of water?" Without second thought, Hank walks into the Xavier's kitchen. Raven kneels in front of her brother.

"Who are you talking about, Charles? Who saw you?" Hank hears as he walks back into the living room and gives Charles the water. Charles drinks all the water before saying.

"Erik Lehnsherr. He is here in Columbia University, Raven. I saw him and he saw me." Charles says. Raven blinks.

"Oh." that is all Raven says. What? Should Raven be concerned or what? Charles looks panic as hell.

"Who is Erik Lehnsherr?" Hank cannot help but to ask. After all the reaction from the sibling is very different.

"The guy Charles has a crush on since forever." Raven says casually before standing up. Charles looks at his sister with a very shock look on his face.

"What? I do not. he is a walking nightmare, Raven. He bullied me when we were in Secondary school. He is a mean person and-and he is here now. He is going to bully me. Again." Charles says animatedly waving his hands. Raven rolls her eyes.

"Charles. It was long time ago. You both were 10 years old that time. You both are what now? 20 years old university students. Are you really sure he is going to bully you again? Unless he still has a brain of 10 year old boy, he will." Charles huffs at his sister's remark.

"Who knows? He is mean."

"Charles, seriously. Stop acting so childish. Besides, if he really bullies you again, you should be happy. You liked it." Raven smirks when Charles looks at her as if she grows two heads.

"I like it? Raven, he made my life hell. How could you say I liked it? You know what he did to me, Hank?" Hank's eyes snap to Charles when he suddenly is being dragged into whatever is it Charles going to say, or rant. Hank awkwardly shakes his head. Charles gets up and begins to pace around the room. Raven shrugs at her boyfriend when he shoots her a puzzle look. She silently hands him a bar of chocolate from her pocket. The lovebird is seating and eating chocolate calmly while watching the oldest person among them babbling adorably about his younger life.

"You know, the first time I met Erik Lehnsherr, it was in fifth grade. I was a new transfer student. He sat next to me and I offered my hand to him and he just looked at me. He looked at me without saying anything and can you guess what he said?" Charles turns around and glares at Hank, who jumps because of surprise.

"Uh, no?"

"He said with a pompous tone, 'Are you really a boy? You have a weird skin and eyes and lips. Maybe you're an alien.' Bloody hell." Charles said angrily, hands move to his hip.

"He called me alien, Hank. ALIEN! What is wrong with that guy? I have normal skin, eyes and lips. I don't have anything abnormal. Right?" Charles asks, now glaring at Hank and Raven. The duo stop munching their treasure and look at each other.

"Yes, you're normal." Raven says diplomatically. She giggles quietly when Hank mutters 'normal features for a cute kitten.'

"Wait, was that the reason you came home crying?" Raven asks. Charles' cheeks go red.

"Crying?"

"Yes, Hank. Father and I went to pick him up and he ran to us while crying. Erik was standing rather far away with a smirk on his face. Oh my God, I still remember that. It was the first time I saw him crying." Raven says, chuckling.

"Shut up, Raven." Charles said. Raven clears her throat and let her brother continue. Charles took a deep breath, hands still on his hip.

"Since then he began to make my life like hell. He knew that I was afraid of rodent and he actually dangled a lab rat right in front of me. There was a time when he put glue on my chair, making my pant stuck there for hours. He also liked to throw paper ball at me during class. Seriously, what was wrong with this guy?" Charles says, breathing deeply.

"And everyday after school, he stood next to school gate and snarled 'Eggsaviour' then glared at me. It was so scary and... and.."

"And you cry?" Hank guesses.

"Yes." Charles says quietly. Hank and Raven share a smile.

"He had done many horrible things to me, some I don't want to remember or talk about." Charles says, sitting down. His face is red and there is glint of tears in his baby blue eyes. Hank feels like he is looking at a scared kitten. Seriously.

"Whatever Erik had done to you, Charles, I think he has grown up now. He probably has forgot about you." Hank says, offering a smile.

"I don't think so. You saw the way he looked at me earlier? He recognized me, Hank." Charles says with wide eyes.

"I am sure, he will not do anything to you. Like Hank says, he has grown up. He may recognize you but it doesn't mean he'll do anything to you. Relax, Charles." Raven says, patting his arm. Charles let out a deep breath.

"Maybe. I hope so."

It seems like hope is just a hope after all

-Next Morning, Columbia University-

Charles frowns as he read the analysis Hank has given to him this morning. It is near lunch and all Charles wants to do is eating lunch with Raven or Moira, not examining a lab result. Don't get him wrong, he loves his lab activity, he is just really starving right now. The genius shoves the papers into his bag and turns around, only to find a muscular chest right in front of his eyes. Charles looks up and freezes. Holy shit.

A familiar blue-greenish eyes are looking down at him with clear glint of amusement. A pair of sexy lips are pulled up into a smirk. A smug 'I find you' expression is on the stranger's face. No, not a stranger. Erik fucking Lehnsherr is right in front of him, only inches away. Charles' first instinct tells him to run but just like the first time he saw Erik, they betray him.

"Hello, Charles." Erik's voice, now deep and sexy, greets him. Charles feels a shiver runs down his body.

"E-Erik." Charles greets back. He will not be intimidated by this person anymore.

"Hmm, you look good. Still as weird as ever it seems." Erik taunts. His eyes examine the much shorter boy in front of him from head to toe.

"It seems like you haven't grown up yet. Still insulting people, I see." Charles says, trying to look tough enough. Erik's smirk, if possible, grows wider.

"Not people. Just you." Erik moves his face closer to Charles. Charles wants to take few steps back but doesn't it mean he is afraid? He is NOT afraid.

"Trying to be so brave, huh Charles? It doesn't suit you. You as usual looks so... fragile. Look at your alien features." Eris says, eyes sweeping Charles' face. Charles bit his bottom lip.

"At least I don't look like a shark when I smile." He snaps. Erik's smirk now turns into a shark smile.

"Well, at least it suits me. A shark? Sound great to me." Erik stops smiling and narrows his eyes. He glares at Charles exactly like he did years ago. Charles finally takes few steps back, tears begin to form in his eyes.

"I hate you." He snaps, his voice shakes, before walking away from a satisfied Erik. Once Charles is out of his sight, Erik has a creepy dreamy expression on his face.

"You almost made the poor kitten cry, Erik." Azazel says after he witness the whole meet and greet moment. Erik, still has the same expression on his face, turns to his best friend.

"I know. That's my goal." Azazel looks at his best friend like he is crazy.

"You have a really unique method in trying to woo someone." Emma says from behind him. Erik laughs and begin to walk away with both Emma and Azazel behind him.

"Don't you afraid that Charles will think that you hate him?" Azazel asks. Erik huffs at the dark skinned young man.

"He will not. I am always in his mind, Azazel. It makes me special instead of terrible. I believe he has a crush on me." Emma laughs and walks past him.

"Of course he does, sugar. That's why he ran away when he saw you." Emma shakes her blonde hair. She has been friend with Erik for years. She has been hearing all about this Charles Xavier, a guy who manages to bind Erik into a celibacy life. Now, she has seen the boy and she cannot help but admitting that Charles Xavier, even by appearance only, is indeed special. Or "alien" in Erik's word.

"Anyway Erik, Professor Shaw is looking for you. He said something about your project, scholarship and something like dinner?" Emma said, looking confused.

"Shit. I forgot I have dinner with him." Erik stops in his track and takes out his phone.

"Seriously, Erik. I still cannot believe he is your stepdad." Azazel shivers as he remembers how creepy Professor Shaw's face was when he noticed Erik's level of intelligent years ago.

"I know, right. But hey, he's decent person when you actually get to know him." With that Erik fumbles with his phone, half of his mind makes an important note about visiting his beloved alien tomorrow.

-The Next Day, Columbia University, Genetics Department-

Erik was looking around the fancy Genetics Department building. He glares at some girls and guys who are brave enough to giggle and wink at him. Erik huffs in annoyance as he looks at his watch. How many hours he has to wait? He has been waiting for about three hours. Three fucking hours, people. For Charles.

Erik smiles widely when he finally spots a familiar shot, brown haired figure walking along the hallway with load of books in his arms.

"He hasn't changed." Erik said to himself, smiling widely. His smile widens when he notices that Charles stops from his walk and is staring directly at him. A terrified expression is on his face. Erik walks to ward him. Charles, as expected, run away from him. Frowning, Erik takes off.

They run and run until finally Charles stops. Erik is glad that the younger boy still has a stamina like a toddler. Wait, even toddlers have much stamina than Charles. Erik stops in front of Charles and smirks.

"Tired, Xavier?" Charles looks up at him with a glare on his face. He straightens his posture and holds his books tightly, already making a plan of hitting Erik with those if the taller boy starts to bully him again.

"Erik, leave me alone, please." Charles says, clutching his book tighter.

"I don't want to." Is that a pout Charles sees?

"What? Please, I get it that you hate me. You don't have to throw it on my face. It will be-" Charles says out of breath before a confused looking Erik cut him off.

"Wait, what?"

"What?"

"You think I hate you?" Erik is looking at him with a genuine confused look that, Charles hates to admit this, actually cute. Seriously, never ever in his whole life he will witness something like this.

"Of course. Don't you remember all awful things you did to me when we were younger? And now we meet again in this university and you still act the same. You make fun of me, you call me alien, you tease me, sure you don't prank me again, but those mean behaviour of yours clearly indicate that you hate me."

"I don't hate you." Erik says firmly, looking directly at Charles. Charles blinks owlishly at him.

"What?"

"Well, sure I did prank you, tease you, make fun of you but I don't hate you."

"Then why?" Charles demands. Weirdly, Erik falls silent. Charles waits impatiently, too eager to know the reason behind Erik mean behaviour and terrifying display of expressions.

"Umm, quite the opposite actually. I like you." Erik finally speaks, quietly.

"What?"

"I like you, Charles. Have you never read a book which says that when a boy is making fun of you, tease you and everything, it means that he has a crush on you and trying to get your attention." Erik says in a tone that teachers use to explain how different and weird an alien's language pronunciation to a bunch of slow learners. Desperate.

"It's for girl."

"Well, yeah. Somehow you look like one." Erik shrugs.

"Excuse me." Charles says, clearly affronted. Erik waves his hands carelessly.

"Doesn't matter. What matter is I like you. a lot. Since we were children. Love, even maybe."

"What?"

"How many time do I have to say it. I like you, hell I maybe in love with you, you stupid genius."

"T-Then, then why did you do all those awful things?"

"I told you I want to get your attention but it seems like it is a bad idea."

"Of course, it is a bad idea. Maybe if that was the reason you bullied me years ago, I can accept it. However, now we are in university. It's very unbelievable for a university student to do such childish thing." Charles is fuming now. If this is an animated feature, not only Charles' face is red but there will be smoke of anger on his pretty head. Unfortunately it is not, so we only see Charles's red face only.

"I don't want to woo you like other guys or girls. You will not think of me differently than them then. I want to make a memorable impression on you." Erik tries to be reasonable, in his own strange way.

"Memorable impression, yeah right." Charles huffs, annoyed. Erik goes silent. His green bluish eyes looks like they are going to fill with tears. His lips forms a cute pout.

"I really like you." He says quietly like a little cute kid who is admitting something embrassing. Maybe Erik is like that deep inside his heart. Charles' bright blue eyes softens at the sight of different Erik in front of him. He sighed deeply.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I did and do those things not only because I want to get your attention but also because I like to see you almost or even cry."

"Huh, what?! Why?" Charles' anger is back once he hears another Erik's reason. Seriously, how is this guy's brain work? Charles thinks that he has a weird working brain already, according to his friends, but hey he believes in his friends.

"Don't you see yourself in the mirror when you cry?" Erik asks as if it is a routine or something usual for people to do. Charles shakes his head unsurely.

"Okay, of course not. But when you are about to cry or even do cry, you look soooooo damn cute."

"Huh?" That is not what Charles has expected, really.

"Yes. Your bottom lip wobbles. Your abnormal baby blue eyes are wide, sparkling with tears. Your chubby cheeks are red. Your red lips are parted and you loook like to say something but you can't. It's so damn adorable. You look like a kitten. A very cute kitten. I cannot help it. I am addicted to that expression." Erik goes into an animated gesture to explain what he think of a crying Charles.

"You are insane." Charles declares in a disbelief tone. Erik shrugs.

"Well, not really. I am just different from common people, I guess."

"You are insane." Charles repeats, shaking his head.

"So?" Erik asks hopefully. Charles glances at him.

"So what?"

"Wanna be my boyfriend?"

"So you can torture me all the time? Then I will cry and you will satisfied your addiction with my tormented expression?"

"Uh..." There goes the cute pout expression of Erik again. Goodness.

"I am sorry." Charles is silent as Erik apologizes again. In that little kid's tone again. He looks at Erik's face. He seems genuine and Charles actually feels bad for not forgiving him. He is not the type who holds a grudge. Not even for someone who does bad things to him. Erik surely has done bad things but really it happened long time ago. Erik he saw these days did nothing more than teasing and glares and those things aren't enough for Charles to hold a grudge on him. Let the past remains past.

"Fine. I forgive you."

"So you'll be my boyfriend?" Erik asks, very hopeful.

"I said I forgave you, which mean I responded to your apology, not your proposal." Charles says as he began walking away. Erik follows him quickly. There is no way he will lose his chance now. Not when Charles is willingly talking to him. Kinda.

"Oh..." That tone again. This is definiately will be Charles' weakness when it comes to Erik. Oh God, don't let him find out.

"I am so busy right now, Erik. I don't have time for a boyfriend. For dating." Charles says honestly.

"I see..."

"But... maybe for a friend, I do have time." He finally says. Charles has to smile when Erik's face lit up.

"Friend, then." Erik says brightly. He seems fine with that. Does he really want Charles to be his boyfriend or not?

"Friend. I'm sorry, Erik but-"

"No, I do understand. It is already a miracle you let me be your friend though. Maybe I can try to woo you with the right method from now, by starting to be your friend, then best friend, then boyfriend, then husband." Erik says as they begin walking. Charles laughs, clearly enjoying the different side of Erik's personality.

"You wish."

"Well, I do wish." Charles smiles and shakes his head fondly. He looks up to the taller boy and raises an eyebrow at him.

"Fine, then. Have it your way. I must warn you though, I am not easily to be tamed."

"I don't want to tame you, Charles. I want to love you and I want you to love me too." Erik says, grinning. He knws he is being so cheesy but he cannot help it. Not with Charles standing right beside him. Charles may has rejected him but Erik can see that the blue eyed boy is actually fond of him. He will win this young man over. No matter how long. He has been waiting for Charles for a long time already.

"Keep it up, I love sweet talking."

"Really? So you like poem then. It is full of sweet talking." Erik's brain begins to sew some stupid cheesy words. He hums thoughtfully, trying to find good rythm.

"Poem?"

"Yeah, like this. Charles, you are a lovely petal that has alighted on my heart. But I couldn't just wait idly for the wind to blow you this way." Oh how wonderful it is to hear Charles' laugh. Erik finds himself grins. Yes, this is wonderful. He can do it all his life to hear that laugh and joyful expression.

"Erik, shut up."

"However, who am I? Just a lonely man waiting for an angel Impossible, it is true but this heart will never lie. These eyes will never lie. The flame you have ignited, my angel, will not dissappear just because of a mere whisper of rejection." It draws another laugh from Charles. Oh, how good it feels. Erik wonders why he addicted to Charles' crying face. Adorable, sure but it cannot be compare of Charles' smile and laugh. Maybe because all he could see from Charles was the boy's crying face everytime they met? Yeah, maybe that the reason. Erik doesn't remember Charles smiles or laughs when they meet.

"Erik, please..." Charles says, giggling. His hand unconciously hold Erik's arm, earning a warm feeling inside the older between the two.

"You like it. I'll text you for the rest of the poem. Or maybe I'll write you a love letter. It will be romantic, right?" The sound of their playful bickering is what people will hear if they pass the quiet road.

The End


End file.
